1858 New Model Army Conversion

[CeeZar]

I'm looking to buy my first single action revolver and need a bit of help. I'm quite familiar with semi auto models and manufacturers, but know very little about single action. My experience shooting single action is limited to a few hundred rounds through my father-in-law's Ruger single six.

I'm willing to spend up to about $1000.

What I'd like to buy is an 8" 1858 New Model Army conversion mostly because I think it looks really great. It probably doesn't balance or shoot as well as some others, but that's OK. What is not OK is a gun that has quality issues.

I've read that both Uberti and Cimarron have reliability issues. Is this true? Is it true that Cimarrons are made by Uberti on dedicated equipment to higher standards?

Are there any options beyond Uberti and Cimarron for an 1858 style revolver?

Thanks in advance.

CeeZar

 

[CraigC]

I have no direct experience with the sixgun in question. Mostly because I handled one in the shop and decided I didn't want it. I find the Remington design to not be quite as comfortable as the Colt guns and wasn't real nuts about the lack of an ejector spring. While I adore Colt cartridge conversions, the Remington 1875 and 1890 cartridge guns appeal to me more than the `58.

All that aside, I see no other reason to discount them. I have several Cimarrons and other Uberti guns and they are all excellent. Definitely a good value. The last I heard from Cimarron was that they were not produced on dedicated equipment but that they had their own QC staff to inspect everything before it gets packed up and shipped to the US. IMHO, the best thing about Cimarron is that warranty work and repairs are handled in Texas.

Most Colts, Colt replicas and Remington replicas will have some roughness on the inside. Some of that roughness and lack of fitting can result in accelerated wear. If you are not equipped to smooth one out on your own, I'd recommend having your sixgun prorfessionally tuned. Not only will it yield you a light and smooth action with a 2-3lb trigger but it will also last longer.

 

[goon]

I'm not sure how the cartridge guns work out, but I know that a Remington 1858 with BP can have problems with binding as black powder fouling builds up. With smokeless powder maybe this isn't an issue and I was able to get around it with TLC in loading and lubrication, but overall I think I'd consider the 1875 if you like the feel and look of the 1858 but want to shoot cartridges.